What is the best way to get yourself organized and motivated to do housework?

I hate cleaning, but I know I need to. What can I do to make it as painless as possible?

Me, too, have to clean, but so exhausted.

You can try music ( just loud enough to hear), put on your fave songs. Or listen to your fave tv show.

Fix yourself a tall glass of sweet tea, and a snack, if pratical.

Or do some kind of at-home spa treatment first

And put on a fave outfit of yours that can easily launder

Also visit my starred question "I need motivation" ( or something of that nature)

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

Take one corner of a room at a time. It helps. Once you've done that and feel good about your achievement, it automatically pushes you to do the next part of the room. Try it and you'll know for yourself.

Take a huge box and put any clutter or useless decorations or things that are old, ugly or not used in it. Put that box in the garage for a month or so in case anyone else wants to retrieve anything in it. Now try arranging the furniture or dishes, etc in a neat and streamlined manner. It should give you motivation to make it look better. ( BUT i know its really boring and tedious)

one room at a time. running from room to room gets stuff done, but you don't feel like it does. If you have laundry to do, put it on your bed so you can't lay down until it is all put away. Turn on music, or the television while you clean. But the absolute best way is to get friends to help, they help you clean, then you help them clean their place.

The only reason i do house work is because if i don't i cant go out with friends so that's the only reason why i do cleaning

take it one step at a time and try not to think it's going to be a huge endeavor. see the work as just as necessary as brushing your teeth or eating breakfast.

attack one thing at a time with no goals just start cleaning one place at a time.. works for me.

Pretend like you are moving tomorrow, then follow everyone else's instructions.

Play loud, upbeat music while you're cleaning. You'll work faster. Also, it helps (me) when Mother tells me I can't go anywhere or do anything until the house is clean.

Think about the people in your life that you know are thinking of you right now as we speak. :)

Iced Tea.

www.flylady.com

my doctor actually gave me this website, because i was stressed out, and couldn't keep up with the housework. i still can't. but this lady has helped many people organize their house into zones, so you can tackle it in manageable steps. (baby steps flylady says).

when things settle down around here, i'm going to revisit the website and try to get back on track.

(i had depression so tasks are exceptionally difficult to get around to doing).

good luck with your housecleaning! be proud of what you did, don't worry about what's not done.

I loathe housecleaning!! However, I find that if I put on the aforementioned loud, upbeat music and throw open my windows to let the fresh air in, I get a lot more done. Start tall, dusting, wiping counters, then vaccume, sweep and mop. I save the bathroom for last (do the kitchen first), then I jump into the shower. Everything looks and smells great, including me!
PS: I also find that if I set a timer for myself, I will be more efficient than if I give myself the afternoon to clean. Give yourself a time frame.

Pick a fight with your husband, I always clean better when I am mad.

I have a little baby...it is extremely hard to keep the house clean....i get so much tired too....but I like to beat the clock...so, I set a limit ...that i need to finish this much in one hour and then i try to beat the clock and try to finish it before 1 hour...music also helps....good luck.

I have a few suggestions. If you are watching T.V., just do housework during the commercials. Start working as soon as the commercial comes on, and then as soon as your show comes back on stop. If you work through all the commercials, you'll be finished in the time it took you to watch 1 movie! Another one only applies if you have kids. My mom used to do this. Assign everyone a room to clean. Each child takes their own room, husband takes living room and you take the kitchen and bathrooms. Set a timer for 20 minutes and see how much you can get done! This way you don't feel like it is endless. At the end, everyone who participated get ice cream!

1. First take a shower and get dressed all the way down to your shoes, laced and everything. This helps you to get motivated. This is the most important thing, trust me
2. Set the timer and work frantically for only 15 minutes. No matter where you are, stop when the timer goes off.
3. Do something fun (for only 15 min, set the timer again). Read a magazine, check email.
4. Then another 15 min cleaning again. So on and so on until you are done.

Tips:
Work very fast, but never leave the room. If something needs to be taken somewhere else leave it in the doorway to get to when you are done. This cuts down distractions.

Oh hunny, I know where you are coming from!!!! I hate cleaning house too!!! Now, I have 2 kids and I can keep the house straight when they are there but its hard to do any "real" housework like cleaning toilets, mopping, etc...
So, once a week, I get alone!!! When I am by myself, I crank up the music and start with one room at a time!! I usually start in the back of the house and work my way to the front. Then I wait to vaccume at the end. I know its hard to get motivated but once you get started and see what a great job you are doing...the time goes quickly and before you know it you are finished. Hope this helps :0)

Start with one thing at a time. Just get to it. If it bothers you enough then you will do something about it. That is what works for me.